Hair curler for Z-shaped texture

ABSTRACT

A hair-curling device for creating curls. The device comprises in combination: two cylindrical bodies, an elastic band, and connection cap. Each of the bodies is a smoothed surfaced cylindrical tapered hollowed body, each with or without perforations along the length. The bodies are secured together with an elastic band that has spherical ends. One end of the band is secured into slots on the wide portion of the bodies, thereby creating a hinge to keep the bodies together as the stylist wraps the trees of hair. The opposite end of the elastic band is secured into a slot on the connection cap. After the tress of hair has been wrapped, a cylindrical protrusion on the connection cap is secured into the narrow end of one unit of the bodies that is opposite the other unit of the bodies in which the elastic band has been extended across.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to hair styling, specifically the use of curlers used in shaping/texturing hair with or without the use of chemicals.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Many devices have been devised to texture hair, with the most common being the use of cylinder shaped devices. There are also examples of the use of flat panels that hair is pressed between. As a part of these devices, numerous mechanisms have been employed to secure the shaping devices to other curlers, the head, or hair while the hair is being set or “permed”.

Current hair curlers and attachment mechanisms have a tendency to be complex in design, especially when the use of multiple curlers is needed for texturing hair. This leads them to be difficult to place on the head, difficult to remove, and can be damaging to the hair during the application, perming, and removal processes.

The earliest example of a device that produces a Z-shaped curl that I could find is U.S. Pat. No. 789,686 to Dunlap (1905). This device shows clearly how the hair is to be wrapped, but the fixed nature of the device makes it difficult to wrap the hair and it is also not designed for the use of chemical perms. These comments are also true of U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,953 to McDowell (1997).

There are a number of inventions that couple curlers together, thus making it possible to produce a Z-shaped curl. U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,787 to Moea (1980) could produce the z-shaped curl, but it would be very difficult to wrap the hair around the curlers, and would not get close to the hair root. These comments are also true of U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,754 to Hildreth (1982).

U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,725 to Beal (2002) could also be used to create the Z curl, but the coupling mechanism does not allow for a hinged action that would be needed. Also, due to the ends of the curler, it would require the unwrapping of the hair from the curler, where as, with my curler the wrapped hair is simply pushed off the curler. These comments are also true of U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,968 to Navarro (2001).

Two other inventions: U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,892 to Hill (1990) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,419 to Brams (1998), while not curlers per se, both do produce Z-shaped curls, but with these, hair actually can and does break during the chemical perming process. This occurs at the folds as the hair expands because of the chemical reaction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a cylindrical body that is tapered, hollowed, and is free of end pieces, and has a coupling device that acts as both a hinge and the mechanism in which to attach the curlers to a tress of hair.

Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:

-   -   (a) To provide a curler which can be attached to another like         curler that allows common skills and techniques to be used in         wrapping a tress of hair.     -   (b) To provide a curler that allows the wrapped tress of hair to         be easily removed by pushing it off the curler rather than         unwrapping it.     -   (c) To provide a coupling device that acts as both the hinge,         and the attachment mechanism for securing it to the wrapped         tress of hair.     -   (d) To provide an attachment device that allows the tress of         hair to expand as the hair reacts to the chemicals.     -   (e) To provide, as a whole, a simplified device that will         produce a Z-shaped texture.     -   (f) To provide a device that is less expensive to manufacture         and produce.

Further objects and advantages are to provide a curler design which is easy to use to produce the desired texture, which is inexpensive to manufacture, which can be used singularly to simplify the removal of the hair for other textures, and which allows close placement to the hair root. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(A) main embodiment of invention. Two identical units make up main embodiment of invention.

(A1) wide end of each unit of main embodiment (A)

(A2) narrow end of each unit of main embodiment (A)

(A3) flat surface on wide end (A1) of each unit of main embodiment (A)

(A4) slot on wide end (A1) of each unit of main embodiment (A)

(A5) slot on narrow end (A2) of each unit of main embodiment (A)

(A6) chemical exchange perforation

(B) elastic band to serve as hinge and connection device

(B1) & (B2) spherical ends on elastic band (B)

(C) connection cap

(C1) cylindrical protrusion of connection cap (C)

(C2) slot for spherical end (B2) of elastic band (B).

(D) alternate elastic band to serve as hinge and connection device

(D1) spherical end of alternate elastic band (D)

(D2) tabbed end of alternate elastic band (D)

(E) representation of tress of hair

(E1) end of tress of hair

(E2) end of tress of hair next to scalp

FIG. 1. is a side view of main embodiment of invention (A) engaged with spherical end (B1) of elastic band (B) engaged in slot (A4) of wide end (A1) of bottom unit of main embodiment (A), and spherical end (B2) of elastic band (B) connected to slot (C2) of connection cap (C), of which, cylindrical protrusion (C2) is inserted into narrow end (A2) of bottom of main embodiment (A).

FIG. 2. is the right end view of main embodiment (A) in an engaged position.

FIG. 3. is the left end view of main embodiment (A) in an engaged position.

FIG. 4. is a side view of one unit of main embodiment (A), and shows positioning of connection cap (C) prior to insertion into narrow end (A2) of one unit of main embodiment (A).

FIG. 5. is a top view of one unit of main embodiment (A).

FIG. 6. is a perspective view of connection cap (C) and shows positioning of spherical end (B2) of elastic band (B) into slot (C2) of connection cap (C).

FIG. 7. is a bottom view of one unit of main embodiment (A).

FIG. 8. is a perspective view of the placement of each part of the main embodiment (A). It shows the placement of spherical end (B1) of elastic band (B) into slot (A4) of one unit of the main embodiment (A), the placement of spherical end (B2) into the slot (C2) of connection cap (C), the placement of the cylindrical protrusion (C1) of connection cap (C) into the narrow end (A2) of one unit of the main embodiment (A), and shows the representation of the tress of hair (E) with placement of tress of hair (E1) on wide end (A1) of one unit of the main embodiment (A) and end of tress of hair next to the scalp (E2) on narrow end (A2) of one unit of the main embodiment (A).

FIG. 9. is a perspective view of placement of the tabbed end (D2) of alternate elastic band (D) into slot (A5) of narrow end (A2) of one unit of main embodiment (A), thereby eliminating the need for connection cap (C). The spherical end (D1) would be placed in slot (A4) of one unit of the main embodiment (A).

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 8 the hair curling device designated by the reference letter (A) will be described.

Specifically, it will be noted in the various Figures that the device relates to a hair curling device for texturing tresses of hair. In its broadest context, the device consists of a cylindrical tapered hollowed body, an elastic band, and a connection cap. The components are individually configured and correlated with respect to each other so as to attain the desired objective.

The Z-shaped curl is created by wrapping a trees of hair around two curlers that are coupled together with a single elastic band type connector that also secures the curlers to the head and tress of hair. The tapered structure of my curler allows close placement to the scalp, and allows for easy removal. The combination of my curler, elastic band, and connector also minimizes damage to hair during the chemical reaction period by allowing the hair to expand.

The main embodiment (A) is a pair of cylindrical bodies that are tapered and hollowed with perforations along the length. On end (A1) of each unit of the main embodiment (A), a flat surface (A3) exists. In use, the flat surfaces (A3) of each unit of the main embodiment (A) will be facing each other. Perpendicular to each flat surface (A3), a slot (A4) exists in which spherical end (B1) of elastic band (B) is entrapped.

The elastic band (B) has spherical ends (B1) and (B2), of which, spherical end (B1) is entrapped by slots (A4) of each unit of the main embodiment and acts as a hinge while a tress of hair (E) is wrapped. Spherical end (B2) of elastic band (B) is entrapped into slot (C2) of connection cap (C). Elastic band (B) is of such length that will be in stretched form once the main embodiment (A) and all its parts are engaged with tress of hair (E) wrapped.

Connection cap (C) is oval in shape, approximately equal in size to two narrow ends (A2) of main embodiment (A). Connection cap (C) has on one side a cylindrical protrusion (C1) that is approximately equal in size to the inside of narrow end (A2) of one unit of main embodiment (A) and is of adequate length to be secured into the inside of one unit of main embodiment (A). Opposite the cylindrical protrusion (C1) is slot (C2) of connection cap (C) in which spherical end (B2) of elastic band (B) is entrapped.

In use, spherical end (BI) of elastic band (B) is placed into wide ends (A1) of each unit of main embodiment (A) to create a hinge, and end (B2) of elastic band (B) is placed into slot (C2) of connection cap (C). A tress of hair (E) is then wrapped around each unit of the main embodiment (A) in a circular weaving fashion starting on the wide ends (A1) of main embodiment (A). This will continue until the entire length of the tress of hair (E) is wrapped onto main embodiment (A). Once the tress of hair (E) is completely wrapped around the main embodiment (A), elastic band (B) is then extended over main embodiment (A) and cylindrical protrusion (C1) of connection cap (C) is placed into the narrow end (A2) of the unit of main embodiment (A) that is opposite the unit of the main embodiment (A) in which elastic band (B) has been extended across. Note FIG. 1.

Description of Alternate Embodiment

An alternate embodiment can be created without use of a connection cap (C). FIG. 9 shows the placement of the tabbed end (D1) of elastic band (D) that is to be entrapped in slots (A2) of narrow ends (A1) of main embodiment (A) instead of using connection cap (C). The spherical end (D1) of elastic band (D) is placed into wide ends (A1) of each unit of main embodiment (A) to create a hinge.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, as can be seen, the curler and attachment devices of the invention, as a whole, provide a simple device that is easy to use and manufacture.

While my above description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an example of one preferred embodiment and one alternate embodiment.

While the drawings do not show this, additional attachment devices can be included that would allow the curler to be used individually, rather than in pairs as shown. The main bodies and attachments can vary in size, color, texture, and type of material used to manufacture them. The main bodies could also be hinged with another device versus an elastic band. And the attachment device could be a solid mechanism in the shape of a C that would clamp the hair and curlers together.

The Scope of the curler and attachment mechanism should be determined not by the embodiment illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. 

1. A hair curling device for creating curls comprising, in combination: a pair of cylindrical tapered hollowed bodies, having a flat surface on the wide end of the body that is parallel to length of said body and is approximately one fourth the circumference of said wide end of said body, and having a slot perpendicular to the flat surface of said body and a slot in the narrow end that is parallel to said slot in said wide end of said body, in which an elastic band with spherical ends, in which one end is secured into said slots in said wide ends of said bodies with said flat surfaces facing each other, of which the opposite end of said elastic band is secured to an oval connection cap, that is equal in size to two narrowed ends of said body, and has a cylindrical protrusion on one side that is equal in size to the inside of said narrow end of said body.
 2. A hair curling device for creating curls comprising, in combination: a pair of cylindrical tapered hollowed bodies, having a flat surface on the wide end of the body that is parallel to length of said body and is approximately one fourth the circumference of said wide end of said body, having a slot perpendicular to the flat surface of said body, and a slot in the narrow end that is parallel to the slot in said wide end of said body, in which an elastic band with one spherical end and one tabbed end, in which the spherical end is secured into each said slot of wide end of said bodies with said flat surfaces facing each other, and the tabbed end is secured into said slots of said narrow end of said bodies. 